REVIEW: KE$HA - ANIMAL

Nashville-raised Ke$ha has accomplished in a very short career, what many artists will never accomplish in a lifetime.  Having appeared on Flo Rida’s worldwide smash hit Right Round as an uncredited guest vocalist, she has achieved a number one hit in the U.S. and many other parts of the world including Canada and Australia with debut single Tik Tok.  I admit though that I am still not sold on her and don’t quite know why it is.  I will not deny though that her RCA Records debut Animal, has many great moments.  

If I could describe her, I would say that her sound and phrasing are much like that of Katy Perry circa Hot N’ Cold, versus Waking Up in Vegas Perry.  Her sing-speaking cuts a slice out of the cake known as Britney Spears’ already loyal fan base, and her Nashville sensibility comes out in that carefree twang of hers.

Animal see-saws between two elements of Ke$ha’s personality: party girl and introvert.  There is the flirty party girl we hear on the popular first single who brushes her teeth with Jack Daniels in the morning and self-described “lovesick crackhead” who obsesses over boys on the ulta-fun Your Love is My Drug.  Take it Off is one-part electro dance romp with a unique street-smart sensibility.  Kiss N Tell is all sorts of overt, scolding an unfaithful boyfriend for “acting like a slut while she was gone”.  Backstabber calls out any girls who “talk shit”, not appreciating having to find out about her "business" through other “bitches”.  The harsh Dinosaur had me laughing out loud, putting older men who prowl on young women in their place; as she suggests, those dinosaurs need to go back to the museum.  Hey, it’s pop music – it’s meant to be fun, yeah?  V.I.P. cannot be overlooked with its throbbing bassline, as Ke$ha reminds us that she parties with the rest of us, not in the access-restricted section of the club.

Not at all limited in her emotional range, Ke$ha is capable of delivering a ballad on tracks like Hungover still remaining in full alcohol-obsessed character.  Blind duplicates this feat perhaps even more effectively, setting a positive example for young women to remain strong and tear-free in times of heartbreak.  The gorgeous title track gives us insight to the singer’s inner “animal”; a creature who craves love and romance.  And it was at this point that I realized that Ke$ha is a legitimate pop songwriter, not just a young girl in the game for a quick buck.

Ke$ha’s Animal hits stores Tuesday, January 5, 2010.  Expect big things to come, as would be the case with any Dr. Luke (P!nk, Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkson) production.  Grade: A-

Although the album’s second single is Blah Blah Blah (featuring 3OH!3), you can preview the much stronger Your Love is My Drug in full below, courtesy of Sony/BMG Records: